This invention relates generally to connectors for electrical connection to multi-conductor cables, and contact terminals therefor. In particular, the invention relates to multi-conductor cable connectors and contact terminals therefor of the insulation displacement engagement type. The invention also relates to connectors for terminating multi-conductor cables in which the terminated regions of the conductors are on closely spaced centers.
It is generally known in the termination of multi-conductor cables to use electrical connectors having contact terminals which effect insulation displacement engagement with the cable conductors. Such contact terminals have insulation displacement sections which generally include at least two insulation-piercing tines which are adapted to come into contact with the respective cable cores after piercing the conductor insulation. Such connectors advantageously accomplish rapid "press-in" termination of multi-conductor cables.
One drawback of conventional insulation displacement connectors is that they are generally designed to terminate cables whose conductors have diameters only within a certain relatively narrow range. For example, an insulation displacement connector may include contact terminals adapted to terminate 26 or 28 AWG conductors and therefore could not be used to terminate cable having 22 or 24 AWG conductors. For this reason, it is necessary for a supplier of such connectors to either maintain a large supply of different connectors for terminating cables having different diameter conductors, or to maintain a supply of different or special contact terminals for terminating different diameter conductors, and to assemble the appropriate connector components only after an order from a customer is received.
Furthermore, as electrical and communication equipment continue to shrink in size, a demand has arisen for connectors that can terminate conductors spaced on closer and closer centerlines. Although connectors are known which are capable of terminating the closely spaced conductors of flat cable, i.e. cable whose conductors extend parallel to each other and which are embedded at close uniform distances from each other in a common strip-shaped insulation, conventional connectors for terminating multi-core cables in which the conductors are stranded are generally relatively large and therefore not suited for applications that require low profiles and widths.